3rd Level Party! Thursday May, 18th 1:00-2:45

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The most anticipated even of a 3rd graders life is here! The 3rd grade Party!
The students are excited about this event and most have been looking forward to it since the first grade.
Thank you for your support in making this a day to remember.
Donation Link: https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/nkzwf

We will appreciate anything you are willing to do. We have the space from 12:30-3:00. The party is from 1:00-2:30. We will need people to help set up and take down as well as party with us!
When signing up for the donations, we only need the number of items listed to the left. If you would like to bring more of that item, please sign up for two signups.
The students suggested a game area, so if you are willing to share any family board game or card games for this event, please make sure your name is on them. Any donations you are able to make for this event will also be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much, in advance for your support, help and donations.
You may send your donations for the party to school with your child the day of the party.
Thank you!

Thank you!

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Dear wonderful parents,

Thank you so much for all the sweet and generous gifts from all of your beautiful children. Ms. Sara and I feel so appreciated and loved. We are so lucky to have amazing parents. The best gift you have given us is your children. Thank you for sharing them with us. We love you!

Ms. Sara & Ms. Holly

Field Trip Tomorrow

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Hello,

I’m sending a reminder that we will be going on our field trip tomorrow. Please make sure your child is on time. We will be leaving at 8:30am to catch the UTA bus. Have your child bring a sack lunch. They are welcome to bring a backpack and bring a water bottle. Have your child wear good walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.

Thank you,

Ms. Holly

Spring Choir Concert

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Spring Choir Concert

We are so excited to present to you the MMA Spring Choir Concert!  All of the students at MMA, 1st-6th level are performing at the MMA Gym on April 27th.  Mark your calendars!  It is not required that they come but highly encouraged.  All family members are invited to attend!   Kindergartners can stand up with the children, but I have not rehearsed these particular songs with them.   We have been working so hard to put this show on for you.  We’re going to have a great time!

 

Because the student body is so large we need to separate the school by last name to perform at different times:

All the students whose last name begins with M-Z will perform at 6 o’clock and need to arrive by 5:50pm to get into their places.

All the students whose last name begins with A-L perform at 7 o’clock and need to arrive at 6:50 to get into place.

This is slightly different from last year.  The honor choir will  also need to come at 5:45 and stay till 8pm for both performances.

 

The concert only lasts about 35 minutes.  Please only come to your allotted time.  If you have multiple children with different last names with different scheduled times please just choose one to attend.   There is not room to stay to see the other performance.  There are a lot of people that need to fit into the gym.  Please be mindful of the limits on space.  These performances are packed!  Strollers, or extra space takers are encouraged to be left home if possible.  The children will need to line up on the wall, therefore, we will request that the side walls be free from those that would like to stand.  Please stand in the back and not on the sides.   Please exit the performance quickly out the south gym doors to make room for the others that are coming in for the next performance. There will be signs indicating the flow of traffic.

 

Because this is a concert, I am requesting best dress for the performers. The attire does not have to be according to the schools dress code, just appropriate for the occasion.  You could dress them in beautiful dresses with covered shoulders and tights or leggings, or collared button up shirts with neck ties and slacks, or the cleanest and best clothes you have.    No costumes please.  This makes it a really special event!

 

Bonus!

The MMA Art show is being displayed in the Library that same night!  After your student performs, your family can gather in the library to view the art from the school.  There will be light refreshments!

 

If you have any questions about the concert you are welcome to email me at:     cstarks@mariamontessoriacademy.org    If you have any questions about the art show you are welcome to email Mrs. Trudy at:    tmalan@mariamontessoriacademy.org

 

We are looking forward to performing for you.  We hope we will see you there!

 

Thank You for the wonderful experience of teaching your children music!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Connie Starks, Elementary Music Specialist

Field Trip Permission Slip: Disney Earth Day film “Born in China”

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Hello Parents,

We have the opportunity to join another class for the Disney Earth Day film “Born in China.” Thank you for all the parents that have donated money for field trips. We are able to use that money plus money other teachers donated from their field trip account to cover the cost of the $5.50 ticket. This will be a free field trip for your child to attend. We have wrist bands for each child to ride the UTA bus. Make sure your child is at school at or before 8:30 a.m. on this day. We will be lining up and getting ready to walk at 8:30 a.m. to the bus stop. We are asking that you send your child with a disposable sack lunch to make it easier to keep track of their things. We do not have seating available for parents to attend.

I will send home a yellow permission slip with your child today. Please sign and get it back to me asap.

Thank you,

Ms. Holly

3rd Grade Parents

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Hello 3rd Grade Parents,

 

I am Ms. Kaley Parsons, your child’s science teacher for studio this year.  I wanted to give better clarification on the 3rd grade science project that they are doing for my class.  We have studied many big topics this year that cover the Montessori 3rd grade curriculum, as well the standards for science on the 3rd grade Common Core.  Your child is to choose one of those topics I have taught them and present a project that will allow them to be the “teacher” on their topic of choice.  This demonstration will allow them to show their level of mastery on an area they have enjoyed this year.  We will have other students come visit their projects and learn from them.  I will also be doing a rubric that will assess their visual presentation and oral presentation skills.  This rubric will then be sent to their teacher which can then help their teacher possibly score their science area on the progress report higher.  Please don’t see this project like a science fair.  I really want to see students think how they can present a topic to others in a fun way.  Some students will choose a board or poster for their visual presentation, and that’s fine. Some students may choose a PowerPoint, brochure, board game, a performance, diorama, experiment demonstration, model, etc. to visually explain their project. Those are also great visuals for this kind of project demonstration.  There won’t be any ribbons or external prizes.  The value of this project is to really explore an area of science and have fun showing others what we learned this year!

 

The entire project isn’t necessarily going to be completed here at school.  I am allowing some time for your child to work in class in case they have questions or need support/guidance from me.  Depending on your child, they may need time at home to complete the project.  The due date is April 14th, so this will give your child a great start on managing his or her time.  On April 14th, all the 3rd graders will set up their projects in the gym and there will be time from 1-2:30 to have other MMA students come see and learn from the 3rd graders.  You, as parents, are more than welcome to come see all the projects too!

 

In regards to March 24th and March 31st, those Fridays will be in class working days.  Your child can bring anything they need to either begin or what they are currently working on.  Again, each project is going to look very different.  I have some students who have already started at home and some students are just in the beginning stages.  It is okay to be at either stage right now.  By March 31st, my hope is to have students feel comfortable in the direction they are taking with their project so they can make any final touches over Spring Break or in the days leading up to April 14th.

 

Your child will be taking home a take home sheet with a lot this information I am mentioning now, but it will give you and your child reminders for the project.  The rubric will be part of that take home paper too.  Please let me know if you have questions- kparsons@mariamontessoriacademy.org.

 

Kaley Parsons

3rd Grade Science Project Topics

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Simple Machine: We discussed mass and how the 6 simple machines help us do work and how it makes it easier.

 

3 States of Matter: Solids, Liquids, and Gases.  We discussed all 3 and how the atoms work in each state.  We discussed how everything has matter and that there are other classes, but focused on the main 3.  I went over how the properties can change depending on what it is (water for example)

 

Light/ Sun and Heat: This unit was on the Sun and how it provides us with light and heat.  We did an experiment with temperature in different environments based on how the Sun warmed them (outside on the playground in the sun vs outside in the shade)

 

Heat- How heat is from the Sun review and then focused on friction and how heat is created from different materials based on how quickly they are rubbed and then how much heat is generated and then lost based on different kinds of materials.

 

Sound- We went over the parts of the ear and how the ear works with receiving vibrations and how that travels to the brain.  We discussed how if people with hearing lose or the lose of the cochlea can make people not be able to hear or disrupt the traveling for sound vibrations.

 

Electricity and Static Electricity- How electricity needs a closed circuit to work and when it isn’t all connected it loses its ability to complete the circuit.  We discussed electrons and their role in a circuit.  This was then related to how static electricity works with the accumulation and transferring of electrons to get a “spark”

 

Sun, Earth, and the Moon’s relationship- We went over how the Earth and moon orbits.  The discussion of how night and day and seasons happen was also related in this unit.

 

Living and Non-Living things in an environment- We pretended to be in a Honey I Shrunk the Kids! kind of situation. We went over living and non and what are characteristics to make them so.  We then went over how most of our living population come from insects and their perceptions are drastic from ours; that our nonliving things interaction are going to be different from their interaction with nonliving things around them and how they use them.

 

Forces- Who was Sir Isaac Newton was discussed.  The intro to all 3 laws of motion was described.

 

Momentum- How momentum works into the 3 laws of motion.  A Bill Nye was presented to give them ideas on how movement works within different situations.  Acceleration, inertia, gravity, friction, and mass again were discussed and reviewed.

 

Mable Marble laws of motion/momentum mini project- This is where we are right now.  March 3rd and March 10th are the classes 3rd graders are exploring the laws of motion with momentum by building a course to guide one marble to “kiss” the other marble without moving it.  Students are continuing their courses or for those who succeeded in the first class, a redesign.